To Build A World
by Vaneria Potter
Summary: Sequal to The Dursley Witch, which is required reading if you want this to make any sense. The Post-Hogwarts Years, where the closest Graduating Class in generations enter adulthood, and try to build a world to be proud of.
1. Chapter 1

_Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, or any of the associated characters._**  
**

_Summary: Sequal to The Dursley Witch, which is required reading if you want this to make any sense. The Post-Hogwarts Years, where the closest Graduating Class in generations enter adulthood, and try to build a world to be proud of.  
_

* * *

**CHAPTER ONE**

To the average observer, the group looked like any other bunch of university students, celebrating some personally important occasion. Certainly it wasn't a rare sight, this close to Rag Week, and at least they weren't getting up to mischief like far too many of their fellow students would be.

As long as no-one started to get Disorderly, there was no call to pay any undue attention.

The group themselves would agree with most of the statement, even if it was almost completely wrong.

In actual fact, rather than university students, the group was comprised of young witches and wizards, and the lack of undue attention was more to do with a subtle notice-me-not charm.

The celebration was several-fold, but mostly regarded a beginning to their new lives.

* * *

Nearly all of the graduating class had taken between a few months and a year off after leaving Hogwarts, to travel or simply to relax and recover from the war in which they had played far too large a part.

Cedric had taken his saved-up leave and joined Roisin, Harry and Parvati on a month-long tour of the highlights of Muggle Europe and Asia. With the scrambling around in the Ministry of Magic after the Battle of Hogwarts, the Head of Cedric's Department had managed to keep most of his staff by promising a month of paid leave, on top of what they already got on their work contract. The other three had only just graduated, so their taking five weeks to travel was nothing unusual.

Millicent had classed her trip to France and Spain, accompanied by Dean, as a 'working vacation', to get Madam Pomfrey to let her go for a fortnight. It was partly true, as Millicent did want to look at different Healing techniques, and the couple spent a good portion of the time touring museums and Art Galleries.

Now, they were all back in England and getting ready to start a new year. Some planned to go straight into work or setting up their own business, while others planned on more temporary work while studying further.

* * *

Dean and Roisin were prime examples of the latter catagory. Roisin, like a number of other Muggle-Born/Raised students, had chosen to get A-Levels and Certificates of Attainment in the Muggle world, to supplement their Hogwarts qualifications, and had taken Parvati and Lavender up on their job offer in the meantime. After that, she planned on finding a steady job while taking a night course on Teaching, but first things first.

In order to avoid uncomfortable questions regarding why someone old enough to drive and purchase their own alcohol and tickets to R-Rated films had no scholastic record, Hogwarts provided 'Muggle-ized' Transcripts, supposedly from a very exclusive private school.

Ancient Runes were marked as 'Focused Areas' of Ancient History (as they did do a brief unit on the cultures behind the various runes), and Seventh-Year History of Magic (when not taught by Binns) provided many of the high points of English History, both Muggle and Magical, as it wasn't until the beginning of the Stuart dynasty that the Magical and Muggle worlds separated, so History until that time tended to merge. It had been something of a shock to discover that Anne Boleyn, second wife of Henry VIII, actually was a witch, and the sheer number of Ghosts in the Tower of London was astounding!

Arithmancy translated to 'Calculus and Mathematics' while Herbology and Potions counted as 'Biology and Science'. Business and Politics needed no alternate name, but Care of Magical Creatures and Household Magic both combined into 'Home Economics'.

Besides that, it was easy to take a simple Aptitude Test to see if you were ready or needed some extra training before applying to collage. Roisin was counted among those who needed extra training, but Gryffindors were not the only ones who thrived in the face of adversary, and she had no intention of letting a little thing like a refresher course keep her away from potential future advancement.

Dean had managed to get a job at a showground after Hogwarts, at a sketch-artist stall. Every fair had at least one artist to draw pictures, and Dean's portfolio of landscapes, mini-portraits and fantasy art had worked in his favour, especially since the fairground allowed him to keep all of the money made from any of the works out of his personal portfolio.

Several sketches that he used as advertising were from Hogwarts, such as the picture of Roisin and her Dorm-mates at the Yule Ball, or Angelina, Katie, and Alicia flying, or a landscape of Hogwarts itself, or the lake, complete with Giant Squid. Magical Creatures that were also common in the Muggle World, like a Sphinx, a Centaur or a Pegasus, were also great attractions.

Other advertisement pieces were of various schoolmates posing in a role. Luna was stunning as a mystical sorceress, and Neville in a greenhouse was a surprisingly big hit. Harry had flatly refused to let Dean use a picture of him as publicity, even in the Muggle World, having had quite enough of that already, though Hermione and Anthony made a perfect scholarly pair. Ron and Sally-Anne looked surprisingly well as a normal teenage couple. Seamus would have been more than happy to pose as a Rogue, even if Dean hadn't been his best friend, and had grinned wickedly the whole way through, with busty, blonde, pretty Lavender as his captive. Cedric had been less enthusiastic about posing as a Hero, with or without a giggling Roisin pretending to swoon over him.

Muggle children, by and large, had a love of what they considered fantasy, but most of the Wizarding world considered fact. A sketch of them standing next to a unicorn or a dragon, or in the clothing of a knight, princess or sorcerer, had them lining up. There was certainly no end of parents more than willing to spend a few pounds to make their children sit still and be quiet for a few minutes.

Older children and teens were less inclined toward fantasy, but Dean had something for them, too. Millicent was not what one would call beautiful, but a portrait of her, drawn with such love and attention to bring out her wry smile and sparkling eyes, was practically a dream come true for teenage girls feeling insecure about their appearance. Pirates and Heroes were cool no matter what age you were, and there was no shortage of youths willing to be drawn as one. All in all, he was making a tidy profit as he saved up for an Apprenticeship in Magical Art.

Millicent was certainly proud of him, and made sure that everyone knew it, whenever she could spare a moment from her training with Madam Pomfrey. The formidable Hogwarts Medi-Witch did not hand out praise often, but Millicent seemed to be doing well, and her letters were full of how much she was learning.

* * *

Draco and Blaise were planning to join the Ministry, as were many others from their Graduating Class and the one following them. They might have to start at the bottom, but since there was no way that they could be more incompetent than most of the current Ministry Workers, they anticipated advancing within a year or so.

Hermione was planning to go into the Department of Magical Creatures. Hermione was determined to do her part in ending or at least lowering discrimination. She had even modified her aims for S.P.E.W after a long talk with House Elves that had decided that the opportunity to set the Dark Seamstress straight was worth spending a few hours answering questions. Other aims included better communication with those Creatures who could speak for themselves, like Goblins, Mer-folk, Giants, Centaurs, and so on, and improving conditions for Werewolves. She had some good ideas, like a safe place to go for the full moon, a fund to provide Wolfsbane Potion and search for a cure, which Anthony was more than happy to research. The young couple were joined in this by Pansy, who had a personal interest in better treatment for victims of werewolf attacks, and, unlike Hermione, had connections to drag in funding.

Witnessing Hermione's determination, coupled with Pansy's rare tenacity and enthusiasm when it came to things she was passionate about, Roisin almost pitied those whose prejudice or bigotry would put them in Hermione's way.

Roisin couldn't decide whether she was surprised or not at Greg and Vince also wanting to go into that Department. They had actually become quite good at combat and defensive spells, and jobs that involved going out to deal with Creatures that really were dangerous could always use some extra muscle.

Padma and Lisa Turpin had applied for a Research Grant, and recruited a few former classmates as assistants, working on something that flew way over Roisin's head, but which she thought had something to do with researching and re-discovering some of the nastier spells and rituals that Voldemort and his Death Eaters had used, and seeing if they could be modified into a beneficial use.

That was what Roisin thought Terry meant when he had tried to explain it in layman's terms, anyway. Looking for ways to counter those Dark Arts, or at least understand them better so that Aurors and Curse Breakers would have an idea what they were dealing with, the two girls were clearly looking forward to starting as soon as they could.

Harry and Ron, along with several other classmates, including Susan Bones, were certainly appreciative of the future research, as they were entering the DMLE training programs. Ron hadn't quite made the grades to qualify for Auror training, and would be going through the everyday Law Enforcement training, though graduates of that course could go on to Auror training later, if they showed promise.

The Battle of Hogwarts and, in most cases, the Department of Mysteries fiasco, along with a severe shortage of Aurors after the war with Voldemort, had convinced most of the DMLE to bypass some of the normal entrance tests, though the actual training would be as difficult as with any other recruit.

* * *

Others had followed the example of the Weasley Twins, helped by the fact that many shopkeepers had fled or disappeared during the war, and not all of them had returned.

Desdemona and Theo were working in the company run by Millicent's family as they learned the ins and outs of administration and trading, and built up their own connections network, in order to start their own business.

Parvati and Lavender had already done the studying, and had started the production line and advertising almost as soon as Parvati had returned from travelling. Their shop was due to open in a month. Given that they had been widely admired for their gift for fashion during Hogwarts, and had even contributed to several other things outside of Hogwarts, such as the Shield Clothing sold in WWW, they had more start-up capital and the beginnings of a very good reputation.

Seamus Finnigan was working under Aberforth Dumbledore in Hogsmeade, slowly taking over more and more of the responsibilities. It made sense, given that he was well on the way to retirement, being one hundred and fifteen years old. He would have to look elsewhere for a successor, however, as Seamus had already stated that he wanted to eventually open his own bar.

Hannah Abbott was also undergoing a similar apprenticeship, to her great-uncle Tom, who owned the Leaky Cauldron. Roisin thought that the personable young former Hufflepuff would be good at it, eventually, once she got some experience and learned the running of things.

Neville had taken an Apprenticeship under Professor Sprout, who was apparently looking for someone to take over when she reached retirement. Studying for a Herbology Mastery and Teaching Certification at the same time was likely to be difficult, but Roisin thought that he was almost certainly up to the task.

* * *

Accommodation was another issue.

In addition to the changes to the re-built Diagon Alley, the contracted builders for Hogwarts and Hogsmeade had gone on a spree, and decided that having only one all-magical village in the entire UK was stupid, especially when it was in the middle of the Scotland Countryside. Two more had been under construction during Roisin's Seventh-Year, one half ways between London and Milton Keynes, around the South-East part of Aylesbury Vale, the other in West Devon, near the Cornwall border, and had been completed only two months ago.

While both Roisin's parents and the O'Conner Clan had been perfectly happy to have her live with them, Roisin wanted a degree of independence. She still had dinner at Privet Drive three nights a week, and visited the O'Conner Keep when she had Saturdays free, but had still moved out.

Besides, even with magic, it would have been hard to sneak Cedric in and out of her room if she had still been living with family. It was a bit surprising that no-one had put the pieces together yet, but Roisin supposed that after two years denying being in a relationship, people probably just saw Roisin and Cedric continuing 'as usual'. Since neither of them wanted a media storm like when Harry and Parvati or Hermione and Anthony confirmed being a serious couple, this was fine with them.

The Patents for Roisin's rune-spells, like the Universal Translation she had first used at the Quidditch World Cup, the Projected Vision cluster she had cobbled for the Third Task and the Morning People spell had expanded her Gringotts Account enough to afford a nice townhouse in Hope's Promise, the new Wizarding Village in Aylesbury Vale, and to keep her going while she studied by correspondence.

The smallest bedroom had been converted into a study, and the second set up as a guest room, usually for Hermione, when she got fed up of attempting to work or study around her two male friends. The Gryffindor Trio would also be living not far away, only a few doors down, and Michael and Cho were living in a duplex a block or so away, as they planned to start up a second outlet of Cho's parents Apocathary.

Luna was still living in Ottery St Catchpole, with her father, but the Quibbler was setting up a proper headquarters in the Business District of Hope's Promise, now that their subscription base afforded them enough that they could hire more employees and no longer had to operate out of the Lovegood's garden shed, so Roisin would have friendly faces nearby.

All in all, it was looking to be a good start in life.

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_._

* * *

_A/N: Updates for this fic will be less regular than 'The Dursley Witch', and there will probably be more than a few time jumps. Even so, I hope I live up to expectations. This is mostly an introductory chapter, but the next one will move things further on, such as relationships and slowly building up their own lives._

"_Rag Week" is a long-running tradition among university students. While it started out, and in some respects still is, a week of raising money for charity or student loans, 'Rag Week' is also a week of university students sponsoring each other in dangerous and/or ridiculous dares, bar crawls, parties, and pranks that often fall on the level of 'Public Nuisance'._

_Thanks, _

_Nat_


	2. Chapter 2

_Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter._

_Summary: See Previous Chapter_

* * *

**CHAPTER TWO**

"Thanks for letting us stay over, Roisin."

Hermione and Anthony were finally moving in together, officially, but had run into the snag of the movers' truck breaking down and having to delay, which meant that they were packed up and ready to move before the house was ready to receive them. Most things could be shrunk down easily enough, but delicate and fragile objects were more tricky, and some antique or fancy furniture had anti-shrinking charms as a subtle show-off that the item was too rare to be shrunk down and casually pocketed.

Roisin shrugged, flicking her wand to clear the table, which was usually covered with notes for her current project, various items that had been causally dropped on the nearest surface, and one or two free places to eat. Winky hated untidiness, but had agreed to the table being designated 'Messy Space'. "It's fine. I know how Harry and Ron get when Anthony stayed over. Draco was nearly as bad when Cedric and I made it official."

Harry and Ron were friends with Anthony, but that didn't mean that they were comfortable with knowing the details of their non-biological-sister's relationship with him. Roisin's former Dorm-mates had been happy for Roisin and wanted to know why it had taken so long, but Draco, long since relegated to 'annoying little brother' status, had been upset that he hadn't been consulted. Roisin changed the subject, "How are things at work, by the way?"

If Hermione noticed the sudden change in topic, she didn't say anything. "Things are fine. We're making real strides with improving Werewolf relations, we won the debate about a collective fund and tokens of appreciation rather than wages, and the legislation about fair treatment of House Elves is going to be presented at the next session of the Wizengamot."

Roisin was actually interested in how Hermione was going to manage that. House Elves were like domestic servants, and in the eyes of many families, only a step above furniture. Many instances of technical mistreatment, such as modes of address or casual orders without regard to the House Elf, which had prompted Hermione's outrage at the Quidditch World Cup, were simply because it didn't occur to the witch or wizard that there was something wrong with that. It was an attitude that would take a long time to change.

Anthony returned from taking their bags to the spare room at that point, and the discussion on Magical Creature rights lasted the rest of the evening.

* * *

Given all of the evidence that the Upper Echelons of the Ministry of Magic were filled with Idiots and that she would have strangled half of the employees within a week, even after most of the Pureblood Bigots were gone and the slightly more intelligent and up-to-date even mix of pure-blood, half-blood and Muggle-born employees were in position to actually do something about it, Roisin chose to follow a different line of work. What that line of work would be, was yet to be decided, though Roisin was leaning toward a degree in Education.

For now, she had a few months of study and a practical left before completing her correspondence course for an accelerated Teaching Certificate and was making some extra money by working as a part-time model for Lavender and Parvati's planned clothing and Make-up business, and a consultant for the charmed Muggle-wear sideline. (The two Gryffindors wanted to test how things looked on non-supermodel-type people, and it brought in a wider customer base.) It meant putting up with the excitable Colin Creevy as photographer on weekends, but since he turned to perfect seriousness and professionalism behind a camera, it wasn't so bad.

It wasn't just Roisin, either. Lisbeth was growing like a weed, but was not developing so fast in other areas. Mary had come into some spectacular curves, but only at the hips, while Susan Bones had no curves to speak of, but had certainly matured around the bust. Dennis and Theo looked like they were doomed to be on the skinny side for several more years, while Dean was probably going to be head-and-shoulders taller than everyone else for the rest of his life, and Seamus Finnigan was turning out very well on the defined muscles side of things.

Lavender and Parvati were thrilled at the success brought in by models who didn't make people feel insecure just by looking at them, and Roisin was quite pleased at the additional income and the excuse to meet Cedric for lunch at the Leaky Cauldron on a fairly regular basis.

They had managed to keep up a long-distance close friendship through Roisin's last two years at Hogwarts, despite a Hectic NEWT year and Cedric's internship, which was made even more chaotic than usual, by virtue of taking place during the Ministry's restructuring process, and had made it official during their post-Hogwarts holiday. Draco and Blaise had mentioned that there was a betting pool at the Ministry on when they would get together, as they hadn't made any actual announcement, which Roisin and Cedric found very amusing.

It was just after one of these lunches, during which Roisin had talked Cedric into helping her test out Parvati's Muggle-based clothing with a walk through London, when Roisin noticed that the bookstore next to the Leaky Cauldron advertising for part-time and full-time work, no experience required.

Roisin had taken the Business and Administration workshops in Seventh Year, which was one of the few subjects that translated into the Muggle World with no creative phrasing, as well, and could convince Parvati and/or Lavender to write up a reference for her. Besides, if she got the job, she would be working with books! The bookshelves in her library were looking a bit empty, since Hermione's spare shelves had been moved into the house she now shared with Anthony. Access to new releases, and employee discounts! Her eyes glazed over at the thought.

Glancing over to see what had caused Roisin to zone out, Cedric followed her line of sight, muffled a snicker, and opened the door for her. Roisin was in luck, as there had been very few applicants for the full-time, and most of the part-time applicants were college students with very limited, mostly inflexible spare hours. The Manager was also in at the time, which resulted in an on-the-spot interview as Cedric browsed through the books, totally oblivious to the sudden influx of young, female customers as he explored Muggle Literature.

Roisin couldn't cite any retail experience, as she was fresh out of school and only worked as a model for Parvati and Lavender, and could only really say that she loved books, and wanted to convince other people to enjoy them as much as she did. The only real drawback was that she would have to take a fortnight off to complete her Teaching Practical. Happily, that wasn't much of a problem, and her attitude toward books seemed to be most of what the Bookstore was looking for, and they offered to give her a week's trial run.

Operating a cash register was not too difficult to learn, and Roisin had a fair working knowledge of teenage fiction, Ancient Languages, and scholastic books, while stocking shelves helped her expand on other genres. Her non-intrusive disposition and clear, often catching, enthusiasm for all things written didn't hurt, either.

The first few weeks were exhausting, as she spent most of her shift on her feet, then went home to spend several hours on her correspondence courses Still, it could have been worse. Most in similar situations would be on a permanent caffeine-high just to stay awake, and living off of take-out or two-minute dinners.

Ming's down the street (there was always one foreign restaurant in any town, and it was almost always called Ming's. That Hope's Promise was a Wizarding Village made it no exception) made one hell of a combination omelette and fried or boiled rice, though, and Winky was there, so it was good to have an excuse.

Lucinda had probably found out through her cousin, Lavender, but it was still a shock to see the entirety of Slytherin Fifth-Year walk into the bookstore early in the Christmas Holidays. Richard, one of her cheekier once-First-Years, grinned and opened his mouth, only to be cut off by a fierce glare from Roisin, and a sharp elbow from Sienna.

Roisin toned her expression down from a fierce glare to a stern look. "I may not be your prefect anymore, but I remember what Fifth-Year was like. Shouldn't you be up to your neck in study materials?"

Jia Li broke in, almost bouncing. "Most of us need more material on Ancient Runes, or Creative Arts, and Lucinda said that Lavender told her that you were working here."

David joined in, grinning to match Richard. "She also told Lucinda that you were dating our former Head Boy. Why didn't we know about that? We wouldn't have said anything, especially after what Jia Li said."

In Roisin's Seventh Year, Jia Li had threatened her Year-Mate's Christmas Presents if they didn't apologize for interrupting what she had believed to be a date between Roisin and Cedric. David had apologized by shouting across a crowded airport, much to Roisin's mortification. Roisin put the last book back on its proper shelf, missing the days when they were still innocent First-Years filled with awe and worship for their Prefect Mentor. "My relationship status is none of your business, that's why. Now, what sub-fields were you looking for?"

Lisbeth found a book on Drums easily enough, and let the others search for what they needed as she wandered off to pester Cedric, who had just walked in and stopped dead at the sight of them.

* * *

Lavender had been the undisputed Gossip Queen, and remained the former-DA's main source of what was going on in society as a whole, but Pansy was nearly as bad, and kept them up-to-date on what was happening in the Ministry. That was always useful, especially when Pansy heard whispers of what was going on in the Wizengamot Chambers.

Most of Voldemort's supporters had been marked, but there were still several who had supported his policies, or who had been placed in delicate or high-level positions, and remained unmarked to avoid suspicion. The problem was, many of those were still in high-level positions, and hadn't given up their opinions just because Voldemort was dead.

Most of the Wizengamot were as honest as one could reasonably expect, but they would vote in the best interests of themselves and their families, before considering the wider impact on the Magical population. A number of former Hogwarts students had relatives on the Wizengamot, but given that it was common for a witch or wizard to live to over a hundred, seeing the birth of their great-great-grandchildren, there was little chance of them having any influence for years yet.

With Pansy keeping an ear open for what not-yet-laws were under discussion, it was easier for the former DA to know what was happening and, if necessary, pre-emptively act before something was restricted or made illegal. It didn't help that Dumbledore tended to over-act in response to whatever the unmarked supporters said or did, regardless of if they technically had a point.

Right now, it was nothing big, but when little things were comments about how the Muggle World wasn't ready to accept Magic and how every Muggle-born was a danger to the secret, it had the potential to become a very large and dangerous thing. The same went for the dark hints about if anyone had actually looked into and verified how much of the Battle of Hogwarts was true, and what was exaggerated or may have been a mistake in the heat of battle.

Meeting up in the Bell and Crown reminded Roisin of the House Prefect meetings that had plagued her last years at Hogwarts, though it was good to see everyone again. "So, Pansy, what can you tell us?"

Pansy sighed, lacing her hand with Draco's. "They aren't saying anything outright, but I'll bet anything that any independent researchers who look into the Battle of Hogwarts won't be quite so independent. No one has mentioned Muggle-Borns specifically, but there were mentions of anyone who might expose the secret - deliberately or not - being subject to restrictions, like werewolves and vampires were."

There were frowns all around the table, as Harry spoke. "We can't do much about the Muggle-born issue until they actually suggest something, but we could start looking for researchers who are strictly neutral, or even from overseas, and subtly promote them, so that they come up as a candidate if someone does propose an investigation about the War."

His suggestion got a series of nods. "Actually, there is something we can do about the Muggle-born issue."

That Draco was the one to speak still got surprised looks from most people. Ron had finally stopped being automatically suspicious whenever an ex-Slytherin opened their mouth, but he wasn't exactly trusting, either. "What do you mean?"

For all her occasionally flaky attitude, Desdemona was very good at following a sneaky train of thought. "Well, my Grandfather is on the Board of Governors, and he says that Professor Burbage is retiring at the end of the School Year to deal with some kind of family emergency, and the Professor who replaced Binns was only on a sabbatical, so he's leaving too."

Neville agreed. "Professor Sprout is turning things over to me, as well, but I don't see what this has to do with anything."

Terry Boot did. "Up to a specific extent, the Headmaster doesn't have too much of a say in what the Professors teach. They have to submit a general overview for his approval, but beyond that, it's more-or-less up to them. If we can get someone into the History of Magic and Muggle Studies positions, then we have a foot in the door for teaching the students the truth of history and giving them a better understanding of the Muggle World."

Hannah Abbott nodded her assent. "Dumbledore is still holding out against implementing a Magical Studies course, but with three Professors in favour of it, they can try to talk the others around, and they'll have the School Governors on their side."

Anthony's parents were lawyers, and it showed. "I read something about the Governors being able to over-rule the Headmaster, if they had the support of a certain majority of the Professors. That's a long-term solution, though, and we don't know how much time we'll have."

Draco spoke up again, looking thoughtful. "Roisin, do you remember what you were planning back in Seventh-Year, when they wanted to know what we planned after graduating?"

Roisin had wanted to open a school for pre-Hogwarts Muggle-born children, so that they wouldn't be thrown off the deep end when they turned eleven. It would be a nod toward the idea that Muggle-Borns were a risk, while also avoiding anything stupid, like registration. "I remember, but I don't have the location, the support, or the numbers yet."

Cedric had also been told about her plans, and had thought it a good idea. "Well, no one will object to a few old school friends throwing a celebration when their old schoolmates join the ranks of the Professors. There's bound to be a few society matrons with nothing to do that would love the chance to get involved, and some old-fashioned people who will at least donate money, especially if they can claim a tax-deduction."

Draco cut in yet again. "Mother always wanted more than one child, especially a daughter, and I think she's feeling a bit of Empty-Nest Syndrome. If I phrase it correctly, she'll be on board to help out with traditions and such."

Neville grinned ironically. "If there's someone who can outclass my Gran in being a stickler for proper behaviour, I don't know them. She'll help."

Parvati joined in. "Our shop is doing well enough that we can donate a fair amount of money, if nothing else."

Fred and George exchanged glances. "So can we. Besides, Mum has been bemoaning the lack of Grandchildren besides Bill and Fleur's little girl, and she home-schooled us in the basics. We'll ask her about it."

Slowly, Roisin smiled. This might actually work

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_A/N: First off, I am so sorry that it took so long to update. Between a new job, making a full 14__th__ Century Italian outfit of a competition (chemise, dress, ghirlanda, lace, etc.) and two original stories, writing time has been a bit scarce. That said, feedback on those two stories would be much appreciated, and they can be found on my FictionPress account, under my original pen-name Nathalia Potter.__  
_

_I was thrilled by the response to the last chapter, so Thanks to everyone who reviewed, and I hope that the chapter is up to standards. I was hoping to get up to a thousand reviews for The Dursley Witch, but oh well._

_Thanks,_

_Nat_


	3. Chapter 3

_Disclaimer: I'm getting really, really, tired of these. I don't own Harry Potter, and make no profit from this fic.  
Summary: See previous chapters.__  
_

* * *

**CHAPTER THREE**

The first, more informal, party was more a general celebration, held at the Bell and Crown was doing a roaring trade that Saturday night.

Harry and Ron had started it by mentioning that they bringing several of their fellow newly-graduated Aurors for a few drinks to celebrate the end of the 'Trek through Ministry Professional Hell'. Parvati and Lavender were also there, dressed stunningly and acting as walking advertisements for their upcoming Winter Line.

They had joined Weasley Twins in discussion with Desdemona, Millicent and Theo, who were there as a reward to themselves for 'Bulstrode, Moon & Nott: All Your Basic Needs' celebrating its first anniversary. In her final year as an apprentice, Millicent had become a licenced Potions Brewer last month, and while her speciality was in Medicinal Potions, she was also extremely good at other potions. Parvati, Lavender and the Twins had all taken Potions at the NEWT level, but their true talents lay elsewhere, and as both fellow business-people and former DA members, they were hoping to negotiate a bartering deal of some kind.

Hermione was celebrating her promotion to Head of the sub-Department of Inter-Species Relations, one of the youngest Heads ever, even if it was a sub-Department Head, and waiting to see how long it took people to notice the engagement ring on her finger. To Roisin's amusement, everyone who had noticed had, instead of shrieking or making a fuss, possibly recalling the reaction to them going public in the first place, taken either her or Anthony off to the side and asked for confirmation. Parvati and Lavender had been the first, but knew how much their exuberance would annoy her, and asked quietly. Roisin's attention had been caught by the sight of the three girls, who had never been particularly close, beyond Parvati's link through Harry, who probably already knew, if the eagle eye he and Ron were keeping on Anthony was any indication.

Justin, Neville and Terry, Hogwarts' three newest professors, were taking advantage of what would probably be their last night out with friends for a good long while.

Roisin and Cedric were there for the company, and to stop anyone from trying to Drink-and-Apparate, Roisin's mind mainly on tactics to get sponsorship and accreditation for her proposed school.

Dean's eyes were slightly glazed as he grinned at his best mate, who sat with his arm around Lavender. "I was wondering, what's the difference between a Roman Catholic and an Irish Catholic?"

Roisin wasn't even Catholic, but that question was an easy chestnut, no matter what religion or county you were from. It was also clear that she needed to cut back on the drinks, if such a tired joke made her laugh that hard. Raising her Butterbeer, she clinked tankards with a cackling Seamus, who hooted the punch line. "About three pints!"

Desdemona nearly fell off her stool in heading-toward-plastered amusement, and joined Roisin in a very off-key rendition of 'The Rattling Bog'.

* * *

The next day saw Roisin nursing a hangover, though not nearly as bad a one as those being suffered by certain other people from last night's party, and seriously planning her potential school. The first thing she needed was a proposal to put to the relevant parties, and documentation to back it up.

The main reason most Purebloods didn't like Muggleborns was because they came to Hogwarts with no idea of how the Magical World worked, and there were few, if any, books on the subject. There were Wizarding primary schools, but nothing that introduced Muggle-Born children until a teacher came to deliver their letter and explain about Hogwarts, which left about a month for them to learn what they could.

Hope's Promise had a Wizarding Primary School, but it was run by a conservative Pureblood who had been an unmarked supporter of Voldemort and was convinced that Ancestry was more important than Ability, so Roisin wasn't about to risk that. However, there were several more open-minded Pureblood or Half-Blood families who had gold or connections, and there was plenty of room left for a second school. It would be simple for potential students to use the Floo or Portkey to travel, and honestly, the younger that students learned why strange things happened around them, the better, in Roisin's opinion.

Part of her mother's dislike of magic (Roisin still kept it to a minimum when she visited) stemmed from Aunt Lily's delight in jumping off swings at dangerous heights and floating to the ground, and from Professor Snape playing nasty tricks on her as a child. Roisin had been lucky that her magic had manifested in subtle ways, but there were probably hundreds of families who didn't understand why things blew up, or turned colours, or moved without being touched, and panicked.

If those families could learn that their child or children weren't possessed or dangerous, and those children could learn about the world they would soon enter, it would probably be a good thing. Roisin was qualified to teach, and had taken the Business course, and had received high NEWT scores. She had also spent the last three years of Hogwarts as a mentor to several younger students, two of whom were Muggle Born.

She would need help, of course, both financial and personnel, but there were plenty of people who would probably be willing to help in one way or another. Being Harry Potter's cousin got people to at least listen to you, and she had a few friends in the Ministry who would be willing to help get the necessary permits approved. Hermione knew someone in the Muggle Liaison Office, and Cedric had reached mid-level executive, and therefore knew someone else in the Department of Education, who could probably help with tracking down the Muggle Born children. The company who had built Hope's Promise probably wouldn't turn down another contract.

She would probably need a loan from Gringotts for that, but how much depended on how much money she could raise on her own, and she could use a portion of the fees to pay it off. If she phrased the idea appropriately, she could probably get plenty of help from people willing to volunteer to teach how the Wizarding World functioned, or even act as teachers as the school grew.

Grabbing a pen and notebook from a draw, Roisin sat down and started to write.

* * *

The second party was hosted by the Malfoy family, partly because Roisin had taken advantage of Draco and used his connections to pull things off, but mostly because their Manor was the only option big enough to fit everyone who was attending.

The celebration was three-fold: Roisin's certification as a teacher, the appointment of three new Hogwarts Professors, and the exorcism of Professor Binns. Terry had apparently done an accelerated Teaching course, and gained experience as a tutor, as well as being the only applicant between Binns' exorcism, the replacement reaching the end of his sabbatical, and the start of the school term. Roisin supposed that Terry might be slightly insulted, or at least vaguely annoyed, that most of those attending were more excited over the concept of 'No More Boring Binns', but since the vast majority had been invited as thanks for their support in removing Binns in the first place, it was understandable.

Besides, if she wanted people celebrating her teaching certification, that was what the party at the Bell and Crown pub in Hope's Promise a week after Roisin's graduation and three hours after Justin's acceptance letter had been for. Roisin's memory of the night was a bit hazy, but there you were.

Roisin was drawn out of her conversation about how to broach her school with Justin and Terry when Narcissa Malfoy swept over, accompanied by someone from the Department of Education, congratulating the former Hufflepuff on his appointment and entering in an informal discussion of what he would be doing at Hogwarts. "I'll have office hours, naturally, but I'll be flooing home on Weekends and nights when I'm not patrolling. I believe that's what most new teachers do while they're getting used to a boarding school."

Narcissa Malfoy laughed. "This would have nothing to do with a certain lady friend, naturally. I think that you make a lovely couple, by the way."

Justin blushed, glancing across the room to where Cedric was talking to several Hufflepuff Alumni, specifically Susan Bones. Luckily, he was saved from answering by the man from the Department of Education, whose name Roisin could never remember. "Well, the married teachers, or those who act as guardians to their relatives, do the same thing, so no-one can really complain, as long as it doesn't interfere with your duties as Professor."

Roisin agreed. "Naturally it wouldn't. But on a side note, do you know if Hogwarts has given any thought to expanding the number of teachers for other subjects? Several of them were reaching retirement age when I attended, and there are so many more students now than there were back then."

Narcissa Malfoy nodded. "Yes, I believe that they were introducing the concept of assistant teachers as part of the process of gaining Mastery in various fields, as they were doing with the optional seminars for sixth and seventh years. They do say that the best way to understand something is to teach it, after all."

They had experimented with that idea after several war-heroes complained that they would switch schools if they didn't get a decent History of Magic teacher. The 'Tutor' who had been brought in only wanted to teach for one year man until he graduated his WOMBAT course, unfortunately.

The man from the Department of Education nodded. "Yes. Apprentices in the Core Subjects will spend their last year before attaining their Mastery as an assistant teacher, and second and third term actually teaching the First- and Second-Year students. Those in selective subjects such as Ancient Runes or Care of Magical Creatures will take the Third-Year students in their field. It will serve both to give them experience, and to relieve the strain on the permanent teachers."

Again, Roisin agreed, trying to butter him up. "I heard about that. I didn't do my Assistant Teacher term at Hogwarts, but Terry and I were practically teaching our Houses for most of my Seventh Year. That was what prompted me to become a teacher in the first place, even if it isn't at Hogwarts."

The small group was joined by Griselda Marchbanks, one of the Hogwarts Examiners. "An admirable reason. Tell me, what are your proposed lesson plans like?"

Terry took over from his former-Hufflepuff friend, warming to the subject, unaware of the growing eavesdropping crowd. "Well, I started by looking up how the other Professors structured their lesson plans, to gain a general idea, and looked up Pre-Binns records to see what each year _should_ be covering. I plan to spend the first week on a general overview of the topics we will be covering, and a small quiz to see what the students already know. Professors have until the second weekend of term to finalize their plans, in case they need to be adjusted, so the quiz will help me ensure that I won't be forcing students to work above or below their capabilities. Forcing students to constantly go over what they already knew was what had everyone falling asleep in class from lack of mental stimulation."

Roisin used the opportunity to cut back into the conversation. "I believe that one of the main reasons people did so poorly on their summer homework was because they had learned nothing but Goblin Rebellions in class, but were then forced to write essays on Witch Trials, Great Historical Events, and other things that they hadn't even started learning about. I don't understand why Hogwarts didn't do something about Binns before now."

The Patil Twins joined in. "Yes, the Headmaster should have started to put out notices for a new History of Magic teacher as soon as Binns died. Ghosts can be teachers in life, and pass on their wisdom in death, but they have no business in teaching a class when they are stuck on the last lecture that they ever taught."

The topic was starting to diverge, so Roisin would have to cut in now. "By the way, do you know if there is any progress about the Magical Studies idea? I had a few alternate ideas, but there's no point if they turn out redundant."

The man from the Department of Education perked up. "No, I'm afraid Dumbledore isn't budging on that front. If you have a way around the Headmaster blocking us at every turn, I'd be more than glad to hear it."

Perfect. "Well, there are several pre-Hogwarts schools for Pureblood and Half-blood children, so what is to stop a pre-Hogwarts school for Muggle-born children? Much of the problem is that they are thrown into the deep end, as it were, and don't even realize that they are offending our traditions, or who to ask for help. Furthermore, if they start attending at the first signs of magic, anything they accidentally say can be brushed off as a child's imagination, until the importance of secrecy is impressed upon them."

Narcissa's eyes narrowed in thought. "My son mentioned that. It isn't a bad idea, especially as you yourself were not born in the Wizarding World, and would have a good idea of what ways would be best to integrate any – ah – first generation magical children."

Roisin smiled; this was going even better than she hoped. "I owe a lot of that to my friends, including your son, Mrs Malfoy. The problem is that I will need to get permits, funding, a location, and more teachers. I know how to behave in polite society, but many of the fine details, and the reasons behind them, escape me. Also, my history beyond this century is not the best, and there is no way that I will be able to manage all of the students myself."

Her audience was looking thoughtful, and a quick glance at Padma and Parvati gained their staged input. "Well, the building companies did go a bit overboard after the War. There are a few empty places outside Hope's Promise, and it wouldn't be hard to convert one of them."

The man from the Department of Education was looking much happier. "I'm sure that my Department wouldn't mind fronting part of the cost, and if you got a start-up loan, the school fees could pay that back in a few years. Sooner, if you got donations."

Narcissa smiled. "As for teachers, Draco spoke with me about your idea, and I know several people with too much spare time on their hands. Augusta Longbottom would have to make time for when the Wizengamot is in session, but there are others who could relieve her, and I'm sure that Mrs Weasley and I can tolerate each other for a good cause."

A woman that Roisin didn't recognize had drifted over at some point, listening without comment. "Young Mr Diggory brought it up as an Item of the Magical Community at the last Wizengamot session, and I believe that all you have left to do is receive Accreditation, which is the Department of Education's business.

Cedric had pulled that off by adding it as the last item on a very long list, so by the time it was addressed, the Wizengamot members all just wanted to get it over with and go home. Since it was, at the time, only a proposal, they were happy to give it the go-ahead, so it would become someone else's problem to deal with.

Narcissa had most likely heard that from her husband or son, too, because she smiled again. "I'm sure I can talk Lucius into supporting the idea, and our library will almost certainly have some books that will help. I'll host a tea party tomorrow, and see who else I can recruit."

* * *

Three months later, Roisin was nearly ready.

Her clothing wasn't quite a business suit, but the dress, a blouse-like top half with a tight black skirt, came close enough to give the impression. Checking her hair one last time, Roisin picked up her list of Muggle addresses and tucked the brochures she had made into her purse.

The Primary School/Introduction to the Magical World that she had planned was finally complete. Lesson plans were done, instructors had been recruited, and now it was time to go looking for students. Most children started showing signs of magic at the age of five or six, at which point an alert went off in the Department of Education and the Hogwarts Book of Enrolment. Headmistress McGonagall had allowed her temporary access, having dealt with enough Muggle families and Muggleborn students to share Roisin's opinion that if Muggle-Born children were introduced to Magic when they first showed signs, it would cause far less problems later on. The Book of Enrolment listed the child's name, and those of their parents, at which point it was simply a matter of looking up the address, a simple, if time-consuming task.

A deep breath later, Roisin Apparated to an alley a few minutes' walk from the first address.

* * *

Mrs Baker was a single mother with a headache, who was currently trying to figure out how on Earth her son, Ben, had managed to make a dictionary fly from a top shelf into his hand while trying a move that he had copied from the stage magician from his best friend's birthday party. The last thing she needed was to deal with whoever had just ringed the doorbell, but there was no help for it.

Mrs Baker had been expecting a travelling salesperson or the student artist from down the road that kept going around the neighbourhood trying to sell his work for outrageous prices. What she got was a young woman wearing a semi-professional outfit, and who took one look at her strained expression, and melted into a look of sympathy. "Another bout of accidental magic from your son, I presume?"

Mrs Baker spluttered. How did this woman know about all the incidents, and what did she mean magic? She was about to order the young woman away when she cut in. "I'm Roisin O'Conner, Mrs Baker, and if you let me in a few moments, I can explain everything."

She already had a headache from strange things happening, what was one thing more? She opened the door and gestured the young woman in, just as there was a crash and a soft "Oops."

Wondering what it was now, Mrs Baker led the way into the living room, offering a seat. "Please, sit down. Can I offer you anything to drink?"

The young woman smiled and nodded. "A glass of water would be lovely, thank you."

Mrs Baker did so, trying to calm her nerves, and returned just in time to see the woman draw a slender stick from her sleeve and pointed it at the shattered vase next to her guilty-looking son. "_Reparo."_

The pieces flew into the air, joining back together without so much as a crack. Her son jumped, letting out a pleased exclamation, and another heavy book flew from the shelf. Miss O'Conner pointed the stick at the flying book with a slightly alarmed "_Protego_!"

A translucent shield appeared between her and the book, which bounced off the barrier and fell harmlessly to the floor. Mrs Baker felt like falling to the floor herself, and was extremely pleased that she managed to keep her voice steady. "What was that?"

Miss O'Conner smiled again. "Part of the explanation. In essence, Magic is real, your son is not abnormal, and I'm here to answer questions and offer a place at a school for those similarly gifted. What would you like to know first?"

Ben looked slightly disappointed. "Does that mean I'm not destined to be a superhero like the X-Men? I managed to teleport myself out of the way when I nearly got run over by a bike, once!"

What? When had that happened? If it was during one of her son's visits to her ex-husband's house, she was going to have this magic-using woman curse him! Miss O'Conner smiled. "I'm afraid not, and I think your mother would be happier if you didn't experiment. Next question?"

Mrs Baker was still trying to gather her thoughts. "Magic is real? There are more of you out there?"

Miss O'Conner nodded. "An entire world, actually. We hid from the non-magical world when possible and split entirely in 1692's, what with the increasing witch hunts going on at the time and lack of official protection from William and Mary. Some families are entirely magical, others part and part, and some, like yours, will produce a child born with magic every once in a while."

Oh, God. "Where do you fall? And you mentioned something about a school?"

The other woman shrugged. "I'm Part and Part. My paternal grandmother and her family are magical, as was my maternal aunt and cousin. The rest of the family is non-magical. I'm also the head of a Primary School that is geared to introducing children to the Magical world, while also continuing their non-magical education."

Ben interrupted. "Cool! Will you teach us magic symbols and spells, too?"

Miss O'Conner smiled and used her wand to trace some shapes that Mrs Baker vaguely recognized as runes in the air. The shimmering, opaque image of a unicorn appeared, circled the room, and vanished again. "That is a Third-Year elective at the Magical Secondary school, but I may show you the basics before that. My school is mostly day students, though boarding is available if necessary, and transportation will be provided. We cover the things you would learn in a normal Primary School, as well as the customs and basic knowledge of the Magical Society. I'll leave you a brochure and contact details if you feel you need more time to think it over. If you are interested, there will also be a tour at a later date."

As it turned out, most of the families that Roisin visited were not only interested, but happy that _someone _could finally offer an explanation, and Roisin found herself calling in a few favours to get some Ministry cars (the Knight Bus was not and never would be a good introduction to magical travel) and a few friends to transport everyone to Hope's Promise and the Introductory School of Magic.

Winky had been thrilled at the idea of having a bigger place to look after, and it had taken a long time to talk her down from a spread to rival the Hogwarts Leaving Feast, instead of a simple lunch buffet and drinks.

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* * *

_A/N: Well, most of this chapter had already been written, so it's up a lot sooner than the last one. I hope you all like it._

_On another note, I have a new story, '__The Highwayman's Legacy'__, which could do with some constructive criticism, since it's in a more serious style than anything I've done before. _

_Thanks to __**ElizabethAsteriaPotter**__, I'm doing a blog/gallery on my 14__th__ Century outfit over on Devientart, under the name VanerinaSienna. I've even included instructions for some of them, so it's a good introduction to costuming, if that's your thing._

_Anyway, I hope the chapter is up to standards, and I'll see you all next time._

_Thanks, Nat._


	4. Chapter 4

_Disclaimer: Don't own it, etc, etc._

_Summary: See Previous Chapters  
_

_A/N: This chapter is dedicated to my twin, who died on December 26, 2005. Rest In Peace, Sally._

* * *

**CHAPTER FOUR**

Roisin was considering the possibility of making the DA reunions down at the pub official, since it looked to be becoming a regular thing.

Still, it was a good way to keep track of what was going on in the world, and how old acquaintances were faring. Anything to do with Lavender would have been public knowledge within days either way, and big events had a knack of being found out, but it was the more subtle bits of information that interested Roisin.

The Wizengamot had considered enacting a law that was sort of an inverted version of the Chinese 'One-Child-Policy', suggesting that the population, or at least those who were legally of age, should be 'encouraged' to marry and have children in order to boost the depleted magical population.

While admitting that two-and-a-half wars and the associated Dark Wanna-bes (no-one was really sure if Voldemort counted as one war or two, and settled on one-and-a-half) had certainly taken their toll, none of the former DA had any illusions that it would work out any better than it's opposite.

Instead, a friend of Susan's, who worked as a Wizengamot secretary, carefully misfiled the bill as the DA quietly spread word of the idea. The Wizarding community erupted in protest, helped by letters to the various newspapers pointing out certain flaws.

Pansy and Roisin had been behind several of the letters, pointing out that some people couldn't afford children at that point, when they were still establishing their own lives, or in some cases, still in school. There was also the fact that sometimes, couples were infertile, or had trouble conceiving, or had been warned against trying for more children after a difficult birth.

Blaise had asked if that hadn't been going a bit far, but Anthony had pointed out that truth was truth, however hard the hearing. Hermione had carefully timed her moment, based on the mood of the angry populace, before she mentioned other avenues, such as tax incentives for those with multiple children to support, or the possibility of St Mungo's looking into ways to increase fertility, aided by Su Li.

All in all, Roisin was quite pleased at how they had handled it.

* * *

The rest of her life was going quite well, too.

After Hermione and Anthony's engagement, it seemed that everyone's relationship was taking off. Seamus and Lavender would be getting married in April, and Ginny had been on several dates with a reserve Chaser of a local Quidditch Team. Ron was still dating Sally-Anne, though both seemed content to stick with dating, rather than moving forward.

It had been a surprise to discover that Dudley was now dating a Muggle-Born Hufflepuff who had graduated a year after Roisin's lot, especially since Michelle often went by the nickname 'Mich', which had their parents thinking that Dudley was just out spending the night with his mates.

Roisin only wished that she had been present when Dudley had brought her home for the first time.

Their parents were more accepting of magic, but old traumas die hard, and they were still slightly uncomfortable around magic. Being Muggle-Born helped, though, as did the fact that Michelle was a genuinely nice and sweet-tempered girl, and when push came to shove, Vernon and Petunia wanted their children to be happy.

That was probably why Roisin's mother was still dropping hints about how Roisin's relationship with Cedric was moving, and sighing about how Mrs Two-Doors-Down already had two grandchildren, and weren't they just the sweetest little things.

The problem there, and not really a problem, was that Roisin and Cedric tended to be fairly laid-back about most things, and, like Ron and Sally-Anne, were perfectly happy with the way things were.

Roisin's new school was going well, but since the only people who really knew about it were the Ministry Departments who had helped set it up, and those who worked or attended there, the anticipated outrage when the more hidebound Traditionalists found out was still a way off.

Narcissa and Molly were not yet friends, and Augusta Longbottom would never be less than intimidating, but they made a very formidable team, and had been able to recruit a few more volunteers. With the new Professors and revised curriculum that was now in place at Hogwarts, Roisin was looking forward to recruiting some of the recent graduates.

* * *

Roisin's school kept the same holidays as the other schools in the UK, and Roisin filled those days working at the Bookstore, since most of the regular employees were students, who spent the holidays either studying, taking a well-earned break, or going to visit their families.

Right now, it was early afternoon, and the Bookstore was mostly quiet, with the exception of one or two teenagers browsing the magazine section, and a few customers reading in the coffee lounge. Roisin was busy re-stocking 'Lord of the Rings' and various other works by Tolkien, as the first instalment of a movie-version of the trilogy was due to come out in a few weeks, when the four-year-old child of a regular coffee lounge customer rocketed past, barely missing her legs and knocking her off balance.

Being knocked over while holding a stack of very thick hardcover books is a sure way to pain and severe bruising, if you're lucky, but Roisin had the good fortune to be caught by very familiar hands before she could hit the floor. Cedric wanted to try a new café for lunch this afternoon, and had exquisite timing. "Since 'the customer is always right', I'll say it for you. I wish people could at least teach their children to not run inside, especially when they might run into something."

Cedric's remark was punctuated by the child running back, and crashing into a book display of Terry Prachett books that Roisin had spent nearly an hour setting up, right next to where his mother was drinking an extra-large vanilla latte. Reminding herself that one did not hex children, especially in front of Muggles, even if this was the third time this week, Roisin ran over to save the books before they were covered in coffee. "Excuse me, ma'am, but I'm going to have to ask you to keep an eye on your children, because we ask that people not run in the store, and if you damage a book, you are required to buy it."

That wasn't too rude, right? The woman huffed, clearly reminding Roisin of her own mother whenever anyone dared to imply that she or Dudley were less than perfect, but the manager appeared to reinforce Roisin's statement, gesturing for her to take a lunch break while he sorted things out and another employee fixed up the display.

Roisin cheerfully complied, grabbing her purse and darting over to where Cedric had been waiting near the door. "So, lunch? Where is this new place?"

* * *

The café was populated mainly by parents with children too young for school, and older couples getting together for a chat and a few games of chess or backgammon. It was also small enough that everyone briefly looked up whenever a new patron entered. There were knowing looks when they saw a tall, handsome young man, his arm around the shoulders of a pretty girl a year or two younger, both familiar and comfortable as they bantered easily with each other.

An older man exchanged smiles with his wife, recognising their own story in the young couple: a soldier just returned from a war or a tour of duty, finding that his sweetheart had waited, still in love with him, a healing balm to the trauma suffered. The young man bore a few scars that the man recognized as wounds from shrapnel, and there was something about his walk that suggested that he had been trained to fight in a real battle.

When the man pulled out a chair for his companion, a young mother looked up from coaxing her son into eating a carrot stick, noting the sparkle in the girl's eyes, and reflecting that she and her husband had been the same, not so many years ago, in the first blush of love. The soft look and ease of familiarity made her smile, certain that it would last, and the fleeting image of them holding a child, even just in her imagination, seemed somehow right.

It didn't take a genius to figure out that Cedric had something on his mind, and Roisin only had to spend a few minutes prying it out of him. Apparently, there was a Ministry Ball coming up, which Cedric was being forced to attend, and he now had a choice between having someone to accompany him as an obvious date, or spend half the night hiding from single witches.

Roisin smiled over her milkshake. They had been discussing whether or not to go public with their relationship, since they were likely to be overshadowed by the Quidditch Season, various other 'celebrity' relationships and scandals, and the fact that nearly everyone who knew them had had them pegged as a couple for years now. "Begging is both undignified and un-necessary. Of course I'll go with you."

Even a Slytherin would have trouble disguising the pleased expression that flashed across Cedric's face, as he had been the one to suggest making an announcement, and it was to his credit that he remembered the potential downside. "You know that with something this high-profile, the media will be there, and will probably have us outed as a couple by the end of the night?"

Roisin tilted her head slightly. Well, they would have to go public at some point, and the subtle statement at a Ministry Ball was better than a very public display of affection, which was how Harry and Parvati had been caught out, after Harry had sneaked back to the Chamber of Secrets and returned with a upward of fifty feet of Basilisk skin for Lavender and Parvati's stock of raw materials. "Is that a problem for you? Do you not want to go public anymore?"

Cedric blinked, apparently having expected a firm rebuttal in light of the media presence. He gave her a look of endearment that said it all, both used to subtle displays of affection. "No, Roisin, I don't believe it is. I love you, and I don't care who knows it."

Slowly, giving her the opportunity to back away and wait until they were somewhere less public, Cedric leaved over the table and kissed her.

* * *

The morning after the Ministry Ball did not start so happily.

Cedric had escorted her home after the Ministry Ball and, thanks to Hermione accidentally using up the last of the Floo Powder on her last visit and Cedric being too tired to Apparate, had accepted Roisin's offer to stay the night. It was hardly the first time they had shared a bed, after all, and Roisin doubted that she would ever be unhappy about waking up with Cedric beside her.

Except possibly on those especially cold winter nights, when he had a tendency to hog the blankets.

She was pleasantly dozing on Cedric's shoulder, not having to be at work until that afternoon, when Parvati's excited voice rang through the house. As Roisin had been working for Parvati and Lavender when she bought the house, Roisin had them on the 'easy access' list for her Floo, a fact that she was going to change as soon as she was awake enough to do it properly.

Parvati banged into her room; her face wreathed in smiles, and skidded to a halt as she noticed that Roisin's bed had an extra, at least shirtless, occupant. "Roisin, you'll never gueeeee…"

Her voice trailed off as the dark girl blinked in shock. Well, there was a fairly significant difference between knowing that a couple was together and accidentally walking in on them. Parvati pulled herself together quickly. "Ah, is this a bad time?"

Cedric stifled a yawn as he sat up, ignoring Parvati's sudden blush. Not even the most lovesick girl on the planet would deny that Cedric was very good looking. "Yes, but you wouldn't come bursting in if it wasn't important." He stood up, kissing Roisin's cheek. "I'd better get home and change if I want to get to work on time. Shall I pick you up for lunch?"

Roisin smiled as she also got out of bed. "Yes, please. Parvati, would you wait in the living room until I'm dressed?"

Parvati exited the room almost as fast as she had entered, much to Roisin's amusement. Cedric laughed quietly as he picked up his Dress Robes from last night, kissed her cheek again, and Disapparated. Roisin hurried through her shower and quickly dressed, meeting Parvati in the living room. "Sorry about that. Can I offer you breakfast or a drink?"

Parvati's blush was still fading. "I really should have knocked or warned you I was coming. How long has this been going on?"

Roisin smiled softly. "We got together about the month after we graduated, but we kept it quiet because we didn't want to be hounded by the gossip columns like you and Harry were. Last night's Ministry party ran late, so he just stayed over when he dropped me back home. What's the huge fuss about?"

Parvati smiled fit to drown a supernova and held out her hand. A gold ring with a ruby and diamond setting adorned her fourth finger. Roisin blinked, and then let out a high-pitch squee.

Harry and Parvati had been dating on and off while Harry trained as an Auror and Parvati got her business going, and had been steady for the last three years. Now it looked like it was going to be permanent. "That is so wonderful! You must be so happy! Who else knows? Have you set a date? Who is in the bridal party?"

The eager questioning was a sign of Roisin's excitement, as the only other time she was usually that rapid-fire was when she and Desdemona ganged up to questions someone.

Parvati smiled even wider, if that was actually possible, and started to elaborate on the few details that she had probably been planning for her 'someday' wedding since well before Harry had actually proposed.

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* * *

_A/N: Yes, it's been far too long since I updated. Blame work, my costume for the SCA Yule Feast (which can be found on Devianart under VanerinaSienna), making Christmas presents, and working on my other stories._

_For those who care, China's one-child policy was a prime example of a solution that looked good on paper, but not so much in practice. It might have worked to help with over-population in the short term, but in the long term, it meant that the only people with siblings would be those who were part of a multiple-birth, and a single child would wind up supporting a minimum of six people (parents and grandparents) by the time they reached adulthood. Taking into account the family of your spouse and any potential children…_

_Yeah, that didn't work so well._

_Feedback makes a very nice Christmas present, and flames will be used to roast chestnuts on an open fire._

_Thanks,_

_Nat_


	5. Chapter 5

_Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, or any of the associated Characters._

_Summary: See Previous Chapters._

* * *

**CHAPTER FIVE**

Again, they met in the pub, but this time in two very distinct groups.

Most of the female portion of the DA was in one group, heads together and talking excitedly as the compared notes. The other group consisted of the men and a few young women, all desperately hoping that they would not be noticed or called over, to the not-so-veiled amusement of the scattered other patrons.

This year would be a year of weddings, and all the Chaos that came with it.

Hermione and Anthony had it the easiest, having opted for a quiet civil ceremony with their parents and closest friends, then a larger reception of extended family and other people that _had_ to be invited, or you'd never hear the end of it.

The downside of that choice was that it left them attempting to fend off their mothers and various friends, who were insisting that a wedding required more than a quick trip to the town hall and a small party afterward.

So far, Hermione's legendary determination and stubbornness had allowed her to hold firm, but Roisin had no doubt that she would eventually be talked into at least a few concessions.

Roisin's problem was exactly the opposite. She had no problem with a large ceremony, since she would only have to deal with it for a single day, and then it would be over. The problem was convincing her mother and Mrs Diggory not to go completely overboard with front-page announcements in the papers, a reception dinner to rival any Hogwarts feast, booking a Ministry of Magic function centre, and a guest list numbering in the several hundred.

Roisin had calmed her mother down by threatening to elope if she had to endure hundreds of people she didn't even know, but then Petunia had got Winky involved, and Mrs Diggory was apparently of the opinion that the wedding ceremony was some kind of competitive sport between the mothers of the happy couple.

Cedric took the shortcut of telling his father that he planned to elope, with his mother just within hearing range. Mr Diggory had years of practice in dealing with his wife's temper, and managed to put his foot down.

And that was without the quiet and not-so-quiet speculation about why they had become engaged so soon after declaring themselves as a couple. The revelation that they had been dating for three years already had calmed things down a little, but there was always a small group of conspiracy theorists who would insist on forming their own conclusions.

Parvati, on the other hand, loved every minute. Padma and Mrs Patil had let the soon-to-be happy couple decide Where, When and Who, then calmly taken over all of the so-called 'little details', claiming that Parvati would have enough to do.

That was true enough, since everyone in the former DA trusted Lavender and Parvati's fashion sense enough to commission wedding clothes from them. Petunia had claimed Roisin's wedding dress as her exclusive project (Vernon and Dudley had – very quietly – complained about Number Four being turned into a small fabric/seamstress shop), but Roisin was of the opinion that Lavender and Parvati were probably the only ones who would ever be able to make Desdemona stay still for a dress fitting.

Her Yule Ball dress in Fourth Year had been the only exception, and even then it had required multiple sticking charms, and Madam Malkin had closed the shop with a headache as soon as they were done.

* * *

In between Wedding Preparations, which Roisin thought deserved all the capital letters she could appropriately fit in, there were other things to take up her time.

Roisin's new school was a hit amongst most of the population, though she still had to field occasional hate-mail from the more hidebound types who thought that she was a disgrace to the name of Magic. There had even been one attempted attack, late at night after everyone had gone home, but that was most likely the result of a few too many drinks at the pub, and from the full paint cans discovered below where they were discovered the next morning, hanging by their ankles from the school gates thanks to some very clever wards, it had probably been nothing more serious than vandalism.

That hadn't stopped Roisin from pressing charges for attempted Breaking and Entering, but at least that was the worst of it so far, and most of the community thought that anything that could convince the Malfoy and Weasley families to spend hours in close proximity without descending to violence could only be a good thing.

Runes were another thing for whenever she needed a break or to get her mind off something, and Roisin was working on a Rune-spell when Cedric returned from the Ministry one evening, having taken to spending most of his time at her house not long after the engagement. They planned on him moving in properly after the wedding. "How was your day?"

She didn't look up as he spoke, making a careful note and consulting a thick volume on the desk beside her. "Give me a second." She closed the book and put down her pen. "My day was fine. Are the idiots in Admin still giving you trouble?"

Cedric shrugged. Actually, the Admin department, which was mostly made up of former Ravenclaws who persisted in viewing anyone not of the Studious House as a brainless idiot wasting their time, and, ironically enough, held several of the conspiracy theorists who had been making life annoying lately, had finally backed off. The funny part was that they had only backed off after the betting pool was resolved.

_Everyone _knew about the betting pool that had been going around in the Ministry, regarding whether Cedric and Roisin were dating, and if so, when they would make it public. Cedric didn't plan on telling Roisin about the _other _betting pool, regarding if there was a reason for the sudden engagement.

Exactly why so many of the Ministry personnel were so intrigued by other peoples' love-lives was a mystery, though it might explain quite a lot about why the Ministry of Magic had been so ineffective over the past decade or so. That was likely to change, however, as Draco had waited just long enough to jointly-win the poll on going public, and made sure that the boredly-indifferent, rude, gossipy St Mungo's receptionist spilled that Roisin's last yearly physical had made no mention of any pregnancy before he reported all of them to the Minister of Magic and Board of Directors.

The DA now working in the Ministry had backed him up when he claimed that his winning had been the result of attempting to defend his friends' honour, and the bookie putting him down by mistake, and the rest of those participating had been demoted, put on probation, and in some cases even unpaid indefinite leave. Slander and defamation of War Heroes was apparently taken very seriously.

It had resulted in a fast promotion or a rise in favour for those of the former DA, who could now step up their plans for the Wizarding World.

Roisin already knew most of that though. "Not so much nowadays; they're treading carefully after the Betting Pool fiasco. What are you working on?"

Roisin showed him a half-completed rune cluster, carved in jade. "You know how Mary wants to study as a Healer? She's been doing research on where she can try to make an impact to impress potential Masters. Apparently they've been having trouble with people who have been unable to talk when they come in, which makes it hard to figure out exactly what is wrong. I'm making a spell based on a kind of specialized, muted empathy, where you pass the rune over the body, and feel a twinge where they are hurt, rather than spending hours casting diagnostic charms over every inch of the body."

Cedric glanced at the notebook, which was covered in a flowing script that he didn't recognize. With a mother who was a Rune Mistress and Roisin's former mentor while she studied for her Mastery, that was saying a lot. "That's fairly ingenious. What script is that? I don't think I've seen it before."

Roisin's face took on a smug expression that usually meant that someone was going to be in difficulties. "Professor Tolkien's Tengwar. I've been using it since someone tried to plagiarize my work. Now all I need to do is show the board my notes, and then let the culprit try to decipher them, then recite them and use a translation spell to prove it to the panel."

She smiled ruefully. "Actually, writing in Tengwar was Lisbeth's idea, and the rune cluster came from one of my students asking about Medical Scans. Apparently they have an older brother studying medicine. I'll have to reference her when I write up the documentation."

* * *

The assorted weddings managed to go off without a hitch, if you discounted Desdemona pproposing to Theo half way through Roisin and Cedric's engagement party, but that didn't mean that everything was well, as proved only a week or two after Roisin and Cedric returned from their honeymoon.

While the Marked Death Eaters had been rounded up, tried and dealt with, there were still extremists and unMarked supporters running around. There were those who had lost loved ones and wanted revenge, but were not picky about who they took it on, much like the Muggleborn who had blamed all wizards for the death of his family and been responsible for the Death of Blaise's father after the First War.

Unfortunately, most of them were smart enough to realize that they weren't a match for war-time trained Aurors, at least not one-on-one, and settled for attacking smaller targets. One of those targets had been when Cedric had taken some newbies in his department on a practical exercise.

When Cedric finally got the chance to Floo her after he got back from St Mungo's, to let her know that he wasn't physically hurt, Roisin had managed to keep up a calm façade while the children oooh-ed and aaah-ed over seeing her stick her head in the fire (that seemed to take a while to wear off), then dismissed school fifteen minutes early, and made sure they all got home.

Then she Apparated directly to the countryside near Ottery St Catchpole and headed for the Diggory estate at a dead sprint.

Mr and Mrs Diggory caught her at the bottom of the stairs, cautioning her that it was bad and not to get her hopes up, since they hadn't managed to coax him out of his locked room yet.

Roisin tried knocking, then an unlocking charm, then finally a lock-picking spell, developed long ago by a mother whose children were worse than most at getting themselves stuck or locked in cupboards, bathrooms and wardrobes. The door opened, but the room's occupant didn't look up. "Go away, Roisin. I don't want you to see me like this."

Roisin closed the door and sat down next to Cedric, waiting. Sometimes, people needed a bit of a prod to vent whatever was bothering them, and sometimes they just needed to know that someone was there and willing to listen without judgment. Roisin had always been better at the latter, though her attempts at the former usually resulted in outright duels with whomever she had been intending to comfort.

Closing her eyes, she leaned her head against Cedric's shoulder, gently taking his hand in her own. Finally, the man sighed, "You're not going to leave until you find out what's bothering me, are you?"

Roisin shook her head. "Not a chance. Don't count on staying quiet and hoping I'll forget, either. It's a trait we Irish share with the elephants."

The barest hint of a smile touched his lips. "Among other things, like being as tenacious as a Hufflepuff. There was an attack when me and a few of the others were taking some of them newer department workers on a practical exercise before we risked sending them into the field. A few of them didn't react in time and had to be taken to St Mungo's, along with five civilians who got caught when a statue got blown up. One of the injured was a Hogwarts student on a date, and his partner started shouting about how I was a Triwizard Champion and fought Voldemort face-to-face, so why didn't I stop them from getting hurt. She said that she didn't know what my father was so proud of."

Roisin didn't quite manage to stifle a growl as her personal ethics about not hitting people when they were down fled the building. She personally thought that Amos Diggory took his pride in his only son a bit far, placing very high expectations on her husband's shoulders, but Cedric's parents, and their good opinion, meant a lot to him, and the second student's words had been a low blow. Cedric heard her. "I know your opinion on listening to people who don't know me, but I can't help thinking that maybe she was right. I was a Champion, and I did fight in the war. Why couldn't I stop an average wizard from hurting my friends? OW!"

Roisin whacked him upside the head. Hufflepuff loyalty toward their friends was commendable, but it often strayed into feeling guilty over things that they couldn't help. "In both of those instances, you knew what you were facing, and you were prepared. You were in a fire fight, and presumable the girl had a wand, so why didn't she take your attacker down before he hit the statue? It is no one's fault but the attacker's, and don't you forget it!"

As opposed to most, who viewed Roisin's anger with a special brand of fear, Cedric found it somehow cute. He kissed her gently, pulling away after a few moments. Roisin pouted at him, and reached up to return the favour. Cedric's hands slowly glided up to cup her face as Roisin's arms tightened around his shoulders. He pulled her closer, onto his lap. She parted her lips slightly, letting out a small hum.

A loud knock on the door interrupted them, and Roisin muttered something vile as she picked herself up off the floor, where she had tripped and fallen when they sprang apart. Mrs Diggory's voice floated through the wood. "Cedric, I know you're upset about what happened, but if you don't stop moping and come out of there, I'm coming in to get you."

Roisin wasn't sure what would have been worse; Mrs Diggory interrupting them, or one of Cedric's parents walking in on them.

.

.

.

.

* * *

_A/N: Yes, I know that it's been far too long since I updated, but life has been busy, especially with the other stories I have going, one of which, __The Highwayman's Legacy,__ will eventually be turned into a Historical Novel. Hopefully. I've had positive feedback from the people I've approached, but very little commentary from anyone on this site._

_Anyway, I hope you like the chapter, and I'll try not to take so long with the next one._

_Thanks,_

_Nat_


	6. Chapter 6

_Disclaimer: Really? Still? I don't own Harry Potter._

_Summary: See previous chapters._

* * *

**Chapter Six**

For once, Roisin and Cedric left the annual pub night not happy after a night out with friends, but feeling angry and disgusted by the information that they had gathered.

The Ministry seemed to think that enough time had passed since the last set-down that they could bring up certain laws again. Sadly for them, no-one was any keener on arranged marriages or greater Ministry control/interference than they had been last time.

Unlike last time, however, the former DA hadn't caught it early enough, and it was due for discussion in the next Wizengamot session. All those with direct standing or indirect influence had spent most of the night in conference together, trying to work out a plan.

It was a pleasant night, and Anthony and Hermione were going in the same direction, so the four walked together. Finally, Hermione broke the silence. "Do you ever feel like we fought and died in a war to make things better, yet it seems like nothing has changed?"

Cedric sighed. "Is that a trick question? I mean, we have at least a few years of Hogwarts students who want to see things change, some of whom are moving up in the Ministry, we have Roisin's new school and Neville, Justin and Terry in Hogwarts…"

He trailed off, conceding the point, and Anthony took up the trail of conversation. "But we're all in our early-to-mid-twenties, at best, and mostly in junior positions, while those who actually have the power to make changes happen are the old sticklers who go out of their way to stop it. All but one of the Hogwarts Years who want to make an impact have left, and Dumbledore is still the Headmaster Who Can Do No Wrong, according to most of the population. Maybe that'll change when Roisin's schoolkids get their acceptance letters, but that is still years away."

It was a pessimistic viewpoint, but truth was truth, however hard the hearing. Roisin sighed, leaning her head against her husband's shoulder. "On the bright side, it will yield results eventually. We just don't know how long we have to wait."

Hermione had her serious face on. "Hopefully not too long, or the world will go back to how it was before Voldemort's fall, and we won't have War Hero status to make people hear us out."

* * *

It was common knowledge in the DA that Neville was far more than he looked, Hufflepuffs excelled at group-work, and Ravenclaws were smart, but this was a plan worthy of the best of Slytherin.

As new teachers under Dumbledore, Neville, Justin and Terry had been forced to move slowly, but they were finally getting results.

It had started out quietly; mixing up Houses in class activities and clubs, and having Pureblood and Magic-Raised students spend their detentions teaching Muggleborn First Years about the Wizarding World. That had earned a reprimand or two from Dumbledore, but even he couldn't set a precedent for interfering in how teachers ran their classes and detentions, at least not without sounding like a massive hypocrite for not stepping in with Snape and certain others.

From there, they had gained momentum by starting a Quidditch Club, partially so that students who were not on the House Team could still play the occasional pick-up game, and mostly so that the hype would take attention away from the Magical Customs Club that started around the same time. The best Dumbledore could do about that was limit places, which was something that Terry had been planning on anyway.

Neville and Justin hadn't liked the idea that some students wouldn't be able to attend for the abundance of numbers, but Terry had pointed out that a) they weren't paid enough and didn't have the time to teach Magical Studies on top of their own subjects, and b) the whole point was to force Dumbledore and the other teachers into a position where they _had _to allow the creation of a Magical Studies course.

Sure enough, distressed Hogwarts students wrote to their families about not being allowed to participate in a club that was making up for a gap in their education. In turn, Dumbledore, the Heads of House and the Board of Governors, found themselves fielding a barrage of letters from irate parents, demanding to know why their child or children were being denied the opportunity, some even going so far as to threaten to withdraw their children.

With the toll on the population that had resulted from Voldemort's obsession with Blood Purity, neither Hogwarts nor the Ministry could afford that, and the three DA members began quietly drafting a proposal for a new course.

* * *

There had been an unspoken treaty of mutual, if temporary, tolerance in Roisin's house, on the occasions that her more antagonistic or opinionated ex-Housemates and friends (or the ones who just couldn't stand each other for no reason that anyone could put a name to) were visiting at the same time, especially if it co-incided with a visit from Roisin's soon-to-be sister-in-law, Michelle, or any other family members.

This involved no commenting on anyone's blood-status, finance, past/current relationships, physical appearance and/or immediate parentage. That meant no calling Draco part Veela because of his white-blond hair and vanity (Roisin still didn't know who had come up with _that _ridiculous theory), and no asking which of Hermione's ancestors coupled with a Bookwyrm (A sub-breed of dragon that hoarded books instead of territory).

Most of the time Roisin managed it by carefully making sure that the ones likely to start a fight simply weren't present in the same place at the same time. Sometimes, however, it couldn't be avoided, and the best she could hope for was to have something important enough to make them put aside their superficial issues. Now was one of those times.

Winky had finished serving drinks and apple-spice mini-muffins, and Hermione barely restrained herself until the little House-Elf had popped away again before bursting into a tirade, thankfully managing to keep her voice down. Winky had made it very clear that she didn't like the Dark Seamstress, and would be happy to throw her out if she upset Miss Roisin, ma'am. "I can't believe it! It was such a good plan that it shouldn't have been able to backfire!"

Parvati and Desdemona rolled their eyes and waited for Hermione to finish, tuning out the un-necessary parts of the rant with the ease of long practice. Millicent looked up from where she was muddling through doing the Monthly Accounts on a Muggle laptop, scowling, but also nodding in agreement. Roisin had anticipated this reaction and planned ahead. "It didn't totally backfire, at least. I mean, the aim was to get a Magical Studies course at least implemented, and they managed that."

Michelle and Pansy sighed in unison, and then quickly looked away from each other. Michelle recovered first, "Yes, but you also planned on having someone competent to teach it, and no-one thought to plan for Dumbledore to be that subtle in sabotaging it."

Pansy tried to act as though Michelle hadn't spoken, which was difficult given that the former-Slytherin agreed wholeheartedly. "According to a few of my cousins who are currently attending, the Professor is an 'old-school' pureblood friend of Dumbledore, who acts as if they should all know the subject already, and calls the Muggleborn or Muggle-Raised half-wits when they try to ask a question."

Parvati let out her breath in a long huff. "It's like Snape in Potions all over again. Sienna told me that her cousin on the other side says that a lot of purebloods are using it as an 'easy pass' class, and plenty of the students who actually need to learn Magical Customs don't want to take it because of the teacher."

Roisin nodded. "Lisbeth is setting up an information network in Hogwarts as practice for when she goes into the 'information gathering and security' business, and she says that since it's currently only mandatory for First Year and half of Second, if the pattern keeps up then Dumbledore can probably make a case for getting rid of the course again, and pinning the blame for wasted time and expenses on the new Professors who came up with the idea."

Hermione, now significantly calmer, thumped her head down on the table. "And that leaves Neville, Justin and Terry in a shaky position if Dumbledore decides that their employment may prove dangerous to his continued power." She paused, "Wait, what do you mean by 'practice for information gathering and security'? That sounds a lot like double-talk."

Roisin laughed, strangely proud of the devious girl who had once been in her charge as a Fifth-Year Prefect, and who had practically worshiped her as a perfect role-model. Self-aware enough to admit to her own ambition and ruthlessness for a cause, Roisin wasn't sure if that was a good thing. "It is double-talk. Also known as 'Hacking and defending against being Hacked'. Draco may have had a point when he said it was a bad idea to put me in charge of impressionable First Years."

Millicent laughed and pushed her lightly. "Roisin, _everyone_ knew that you could have ruled the world if you didn't hate paperwork and politics so much. Draco just wasn't sure if the world could handle more than one of you, and it was obvious how many of those kids wanted to follow in your footsteps."

Desdemona gave one of her smiles that never failed to make authority figures worry about what she was up to. "There were definite similarities in how David and Lucinda ran things when they became Prefects, yes."

Roisin threw one of the spiced honey-cakes that Winky had made at her best friend. "Stop that. Besides, they're both Head Students this year, so they can't follow in my footsteps there! Ha!"

Hermione gave her an odd look. "You know you basically just said that you're proud that you weren't Head Girl, right?"

Roisin considered that, and blushed. "Shut up."

* * *

It had been too long since they went out as a group, and Les Miserables was showing. A little piece at the back of Roisin's mind was nudging that it was strangely appropriate, especially the parts with the students attempting to stand up to the government.

Whether by accident or design, everyone had managed to show up in the colours of their former Houses, most of them laughing at Fred and George, who had managed to drag Ron between them as they started singing "_Red: the blood of angry men!"_

Responding to a desperate look from his best mate, Harry draped an arm over Fred, "_Black: the dark of ages past!"_

Laughing helplessly, Roisin staggered as Ginny and Parvati latched onto her. "_Red: a world about to dawn! Black: a night that ends at last!"_

Cedric rescued his wife from the other girls, who promptly grabbed Hermione while Dudley placed himself between them and an alarmed, strawberry-blonde, Michelle, but couldn't resist joining in. It was nice to have just a night out, not having to worry about the rest of the world. The tall former-Hufflepuff spun his wife in place, enjoying her giggles as she let him bend her into a dip. "_In my life she has burst like the music of angels, the light of the sun. And my life seems to stop as if something is over and something has scarcely begun."_

Roisin gave in as she spun upright, revelling in the all-too-rare light-hearted moments. Oh, why not? "_A heart full of love, no fear, no regret…"_

Seamus and Lavender went back to the revolutionary side of things. "_It is the music of a people who will not be slaves again! … Will you join in our crusade, who will be strong and stand with me?"_

Hermione gave up and joined in; fighting for a cause had always struck a chord in her "_Beyond the barricade is there a world you long to see? Then join in the fight that will give you the right to be free!"_

The sight of a Bobbie headed their way, most likely taking the singing as a sign of intoxication, made them calm down, and the rest of the walk to dinner was quiet.

* * *

Table-talk was current events, good and bad, and Dean finally spoke up over pudding. "Of course, they had a point, didn't they?"

It was sort of cute, the way Draco and Pansy looked at him in sync, raising an eyebrow in question, and Millicent stifled a laugh. "When the ruling authority stops caring about anything except their personal power and comfort, it is time for the populace to stand up. We've done that before, during Voldemort's second rise, and we can do it again, if we need to."

The rest of the table exchanged glances.

It was dangerous talk, but no less true for it.

Something needed to be done and, as seemed ever the case, they would be the ones to do it.

.

.

.

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* * *

_A/N: First, I am so sorry about the wait. Frankly, I've lost a lot of my inspiration for this fic, and I have others in the works at the same time. When you add in a new full-time job that I'm still settling into, and working seriously on a planned novel, it doesn't leave a whole lot of time._

_Don't worry, I'm not giving up entirely, but it may be a while between updates, and I probably won't do the entire 19 chapters that I originally planned. If you have any suggestions for things that you want to see, feel free to let me know._

_Thanks,_

_Nat_


	7. Chapter 7

_Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, and no money is being made._

_Summary: See Previous Chapters_

* * *

**CHAPTER SEVEN**

Yearly Pub Meetings were usually upbeat, casual affairs, mainly intended to meet up with friends and swap stories.

This year, it was more serious, and focussed on the probability that something was going to have to be done about the Ministry, it was almost certainly going to be up to the Former DA, and it was going to be a lot more serious than last time.

It was fortunate that they had rented a private parlour the past two years, and that was where the DA Leaders gathered, while the others kept the other patrons' attention outside, instead of on the bunch that looked too serious for a night out. Hermione, in her element, brought the group to order. "Well, who wants to go first?"

Cedric started. "I hate to say it, but boycotts, subtle influence and promises 'in due course' aren't going to be enough this time. We need to be prepared for big changes, now, and the chance that peaceful means might not be enough."

Hannah looked uncomfortable. "Cedric, mate, you're talking about going head-on against the Ministry. Do we really want a civil war?"

Neville also looked a bit uncertain, but determined. "Want, no, but we may not have a choice. The Ministry is going straight back to the way it was before, while we still aren't in any position to make much of a difference. If things continue as they are, we'll have another war on our hands in a few decades, at best, and it'll be Voldemort all over again. We have to do something."

Terry straightened up. "Well, we have our goals, but more than one revolution fell apart because no-one had more than a vague idea of what to do after they won. What are our plans?"

Harry spoke up, unusually firm. "I'll be a leader and figurehead during the fight, but the real issue is what we do after the fighting. I frankly don't trust any of the older generation; not when they've calmly sat back and let this happen, but we've had enough of puppet ministers, and I don't want any more spotlight than I can possibly avoid, even if I knew the first thing about politics."

The next logical step was Hermione, or a Ravenclaw, but Anthony, standing for his former house, shook his head. Hermione looked rueful. "I'm smart, but I'm not good at reading people or diplomatic talking. Maybe in the future, when things are settled and I've had some training, but not now."

Hermione was passionate when it came to a cause, and very good at steamrolling her way through objections, but that wasn't what would be needed. Susan Finch-Fletchley was next. "This country has had enough of lazy politicians only out for themselves, and we're all about fair play and working as a team, but whoever becomes Minister is going to have to make some hard decisions and laws that they can't compromise or committee on, no matter who argues. We don't really have a Hufflepuff suited for that."

Draco raised his hand. "I don't have the persuasive ability, or command the respect, to let me take the position, but I do think that a Slytherin would be best. Anyone who thinks that they can see this through, and is willing to do their best, has got to have ambition in spades, and will have to do a lot of sly thinking and underhand manuvers to get things done without starting a Civil War. They'll also need to have built up a fair amount of influence beyond being a War Hero."

A Slytherin who was cunning, ambitious, not such a pureblood that the '_nouveau sang'_ would refuse support, but still with influence among the 'Old Families'.

Roisin sent an unkind look at Draco, who wasn't nearly as un-subtle as he often seemed. The sneaky wretch had very carefully eliminated all of the other options! Parvati was the one to seal the deal. "Roisin managed to lead her House through a war when she didn't have seniority and there was a lot of bad feeling toward them, and when push comes to shove, she did a lot for School Unity. Plus, with her school and the recent graduates who think that she's the best thing since sliced bread, she has influence."

Roisin grasped at her last hope. "Speaking of my school, I worked hard to put that in motion, and – "

Desdemona cut her off; the most serious any of them had ever seen her. "And it's progressed well enough, and gained enough support and staff, that you don't need to be there every moment of every day. Winky is surprisingly good at paperwork, one of us can step up to cover for you in meetings and such, and Lisbeth or one of your other First Years have a flexible enough schedule that they can take over the home visits."

Roisin hated it when Desdemona managed to have a valid point. Cedric placed a warm hand on her shoulder, calm and supportive, and she welcomed the comfort of knowing that he would support her all the way, regardless of what she chose. "The way I see it, all you need to decide is how much you think the plan is worth. Not all battles are waged through force, and you're one of the best I know when it comes to subtle warfare."

Desdemona broke the serious atmosphere with a saucy look at the couple and a suggestive wink. "Subtle in what sense, exactly?"

Her remark prompted scandalized titters and bawdy laughter, as she somehow turned the innocent remark into an innuendo. Roisin giggled and gave up; resting her head on her husband's shoulder as his hand came to rest on her hip. "Fine, I'll do it, but you're still forgetting a fairly big problem."

The same big problem that had been instrumental in blocking or twisting all of their efforts since they started making changes in Seventh Year, in fact. The Macmillan family might be supporters, but Ernie had seen and endured too much to be a mindless follower. "Dumbledore has nearly been elected Minister any number of times, and still wields a lot of influence as Headmaster and on the Wizengamot. We can't count on him staying idle when we pull our coup."

There was no whimsical dreaminess in Luna's voice. "In your Fifth Year we got the real story out through independent newspapers, and people doubted the _Prophet _because they were too abrupt and too blatant in their attacks on Dumbledore, while they were more subtle with Harry. That can be our starting point."

For a rule-abiding Gryffindor Bookworm, Hermione could be surprisingly ruthless when it came to a good cause, and nothing got her back up like discrimination and deliberate sabotage of education.

Roisin had sometimes wondered if Umbridge had known how lucky she was to have the entire school united against her to the extent that they had to take turns, rather than leaving Hermione to test the limits of her knowledge.

Roisin had been described more than once as a 'Perfect Slytherin', cunning and intelligent, setting reasonable goals but being utterly ruthless in reaching them. And resorting to any means to tear down those who opposed her.

It was a reputation that she didn't entirely live up to, but which very useful at times. The two women exchanged looks, before Hermione took the lead. "Millicent, you did your Healer's Apprenticeship under Madam Pomfrey, right? Is there anything you can think of that we can use?"

Millicent shook her head. "Not without breaking my Healer's Oath, no. Madam Pomfrey might have something, but I was only an apprentice, so I had no access to the important stuff."

Lavender perked up from next to Seamus. "Rumour has it that Madam Pomfrey is thinking of retiring, and is only holding out until she can find someone to take her place. One of the students who came into our shop said that she was upset because Dumbledore was trying to convince her to stay by not taking out any notices. If her former apprentice 'just happened' to drop by for a chat…"

Dean sat up, exchanging glances with Millicent. "I kept in contact with the Magical Art Professor, since he was the one who set me up with a Master, and he mentioned 'Family Issues' that mean he might be leaving soon, too. It'd mean two more people inside Hogwarts."

Millicent nodded her acceptance. "As a School Healer, I am bound by Oath _to_ report anything suspicious. All the Staff are supposed to take a yearly Medical Exam, and I know that Dumbledore didn't come in for his while I was there. If I, going through my predecessor's records, happen to find that Dumbledore hasn't taken his exam at Hogwarts for the past few years, I would have to make inquiries."

Parvati and Lavender heard a lot from the students, male and female, who came through their shop, and had practice at sorting truth from exaggeration. "How does this sound: '_A recent graduate, on condition of Anonymity, praised the former Magical Studies club. "It started out great", they claimed, "but then Dumbledore brought in members of his 'Old Boys Club' – not even proper professors – to replace the Professors who had volunteered, and it was all downhill from there. Everyone knew that Dumbledore's buddies didn't have a clue about teaching what everyone raised in the magical world takes for granted, but the Headmaster wouldn't hear a word against them.'_

Justin smiled. "Sounds good to me. How about: _'It was scary, claims a current student'_ – don't look at me like that, you'll find plenty of current students willing to say that – '_we talked to Professors L and B, and they suggested turning it back into a club, and Dumbledore threatened to fire them if they kept questioning his decisions.'"_

Harry frowned, "You never mentioned that part. That's a good start, so everyone see what else you can think up to discredit Dumbledore or weaken his power base, and we'll meet at Seamus' pub, same time next week."

* * *

Roisin wasn't blind to the dangers of what they were doing, but she was enjoying it, too. After the tumultuous years at Hogwarts, life beyond school was almost dull, in some ways.

Oh, teaching had its moments on a daily basis, and life with Cedric would never be boring, no matter what certain people implied about her husband's intelligence, but after the challenges of Leadership during her Fifth to Seventh Years, it was hard to find something to really challenge her.

That was part of it, anyway, but Roisin's yearly Medical, a month after the first meeting, turned up another reason for her to want to build a new world.

She was pregnant.

Well, that complicated things even more.

* * *

It had been a long time since Roisin had visited the O'Conner Keep for any extended period of time.

She had visited for a special occasion, or invited that side of extended family over for dinner, and they had been the ones to host her 'Hen's Night' – letting Roisin know about it roughly an hour in advance – but Aunt Nessa's hug and quiet "We missed you" made her realize how much she had been neglecting them ever since she had made amends with her parents. Now she was feeling guilty that her visit was more of a recruitment effort than a social call.

Roisin returned the embrace. "I missed you too. Saying that I've been busy isn't really an excuse, but I am sorry that I haven't been around."

Fionna, joining them, smiled as she held out her arms for her own hug. "You have formed your own family, your own life, and you are no longer a child in need of protection. Your heart and home were always in England, and while you were and are always welcome here, we always knew that your life at the keep would not be a permanent one."

Aunt Nessa backed the older woman up, smiling at Roisin's obvious confusion. "The Sight has never been strong in our clan, not even as strong as it is in your friend Luna, but we Know things that pertain to our family. You needed a home and people who loved you while you adjusted to a new world, and support until you and your family made amends and you learned to strike a balance between the two worlds. But you were always meant to be a force of change on your own island, and it would be selfish for us to try to keep you."

Roisin felt a warm glow at their words, and growing confidence for what she had come to talk about. Her voice became serious. "Actually, support is something I need to talk to you about. The Ministry and the 'Old Boys Club' are being stupid – again – and we're trying to gain support to do something about it."

Her Aunt and Grandmother – plus several eavesdropping cousins – instantly perked up. The chance for a rebellion (especially against the English Government, though France or America would do in a pinch) was always greeted with enthusiasm, even if the rebellion that won independence from Britain was the only one that had actually succeeded.

They exchanged looks, Nessa sounding thoughtful. "The Clans get along much better now than they did in ages past, and the fact that it's the British Ministry will always get them moving. I'll invite the Clan Leaders and a few Ministry Officials for a small get-together in a few days, and we'll see what sparks we can ignite.

Roisin smiled. It was a start.

* * *

The Slytherin woman knew that she should probably feel ashamed of herself for taking shameless advantage of her husband's good looks and the barely-visible evidence of her child to convince some of the Irish influential, but she didn't.

Her insistence that she would not allow her children to grow up in a world of prejudice and politicians who cared more about their own best interest that the people they supposedly served had been perfectly genuine, and struck an instant chord in those who had children of their own. Cedric's easy smile and quiet confidence, coupled with his handsome face, put people at ease long enough to listen to what Roisin said, until they paid attention to what she _didn't_ say, and paid even closer attention to that.

Cedric was usually hopeless at deception, like most Hufflepuffs were, but he hadn't taken offence at the fact that his main role was to 'stand around and look pretty', as Draco had put it, and welcomed the opportunity to hover over his wife without her getting annoyed about it.

Roisin didn't mind hovering in small measures, but Cedric remembered that his mother had been pregnant twice more after him, and lost the baby both times. Once he got over the shock of impending fatherhood he had started fussing to the point where he considered getting up to make tea a stressful activity. Roisin tried to understand that the elder Mrs Diggory's last pregnancy had been a dangerous one, and left an impression on the then-nine-year-old, but there were limits.

They did work out a compromise, though. Roisin would follow the advice of Millicent and a Maternity Healer as far as reasonably practical, and Cedric would keep his hovering to an equally practical level, until Roisin was far enough along that certain activities really were dangerous, or unless complications arose.

Given that the alternative was Roisin's offer to adjust the Healer's Empathy rune cluster so that Cedric could endure all the symptoms of pregnancy and childbirth, too, her husband accepted the deal.

.

.

.

.

* * *

_A/N: I'm basing the pregnancy reactions off my cousin and his wife, so apologies if I got it wrong._

_I'm also sorry that it's been so long between chapters, but work has kept me insanely busy, and I just haven't had the time._


End file.
